In the United States there are limitless opportunities to visit the wilderness. As the number of visits increase, so too does the environmental impact. This movement, initiated originally by the US Forest Service, sought to develop low impact hiking and camping practices. Helping hikers to develop skills and awareness has been proven to be more effective than regulations.

At Hardin-Simmons, Dr. Rick Hammer, an assistant professor of Botany and Ecology, is a Master Educator in the Leave No Trace Program. He seeks to educate the students about the environment and how they interact with it. Dr. Hammer will be giving a presentation during Chapel on Tuesday March 6, 2012 on the Leave No Trace Program from a faith perspective as it applies to outdoor ethics.

"Leave No Trace" is a national and international program designed to assist outdoor enthusiasts with their decisions about how to reduce their impacts when they hike, camp, picnic, snowshoe, run, bike, hunt, paddle, ride horses, fish, ski, or climb. The program strives to educate all those who enjoy the outdoors about the nature of their recreational impacts as well as techniques to prevent and minimize such impacts. Leave No Trace is best understood as an educational and ethical program, not as a set of rules and regulations".

Want to learn more about the Leave No Trace Movement? Click on the link to take the BigFoot Challenge or to learn how to get involved.